Find out how popular the last name Sawyer is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Sawyer.

Sawyer, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Sawyer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sawyer in America

Sawyer is the 707th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sawyer surname appeared 49,028 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 17 people would have the surname Sawyer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sawyer to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Sawyer

The surname Sawyer is an occupational name that originated in England. It derives from the Old English word 'sagere' or 'sawere,' which means 'a sawyer' or someone who sawed wood for a living. This occupation was crucial in medieval times when timber was a valuable resource used for construction and fuel.

The earliest known record of the surname Sawyer dates back to the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as 'le Sawiere.' This document was a census-like survey conducted during the reign of King Edward I. The name was also recorded in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379 as 'Sauger.'

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was John Sawyer, who was born around 1450 in Wycliffe, Yorkshire, England. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Robert Sawyer (1633-1692), an English lawyer and politician who served as Attorney General for England and Wales during the reign of King James II.

The Sawyer surname was also prominent in the American colonies. One of the earliest settlers was Thomas Sawyer, who arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636. His descendants include the famous American author Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens, 1835-1910), whose middle name 'Langhorne' was derived from his ancestor, John Sawyer of Lancashire, England.

Another notable Sawyer was Philander Chase Sawyer (1824-1900), an American businessman and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin. In the literary world, Charles Sawyer (1887-1979) was an English novelist and short story writer best known for his works set in the West Country of England.

The Sawyer surname has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Sawyers Hill in Gloucestershire and Sawyers Close in Warwickshire. These place names likely originated from individuals with the occupational surname who lived or worked in those areas.

Overall, the surname Sawyer has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval England and the important occupation of sawing timber. It has since spread across the globe, with notable bearers of the name making significant contributions in various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sawyer

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sawyer.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Sawyer was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Sawyer has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Sawyer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sawyer, please contact us.

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